One year at the movies: a brief timeline of the IU Cinema

Nov. 9, 2010
The IU Cinema  has an exclusive press opening with a special screening of  “The Bridge on the River Kwai.”  The audience seemingly shouted “Madness!” at the cinema’s digital projection.

Jan. 13, 2011
As part of the flagship “David Lean” series, “Lawrence of Arabia” is screened on the IU Cinema’s opening night to a sold-out crowd. An additional screening was added the following Tuesday.

Jan. 29, 2011
“The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” closes the “John Ford Goes West” series that welcomed the director’s grandson, Daniel Ford. Spoiler: Liberty Valance gets shot.

Feb. 11, 2011
Experimental filmmaker Dr. Kenneth Anger speaks, but not without some controversy. Days earlier, the threatening flyers “Manifesto #1” were posted around campus, and authorities believed them to be linked to Anger’s arrival.
During his Q&A session, Anger openly challenged a programming decision to not screen one of his more explicit films. IU Cinema Director Jon Vickers said he now sees the occasion as humorous. “The tense situation was resolved to everyone’s satisfaction, but both incidents add to our unique memories of Kenneth Anger’s visit,” he said.

Feb. 19, 2011
The restored version of “Metropolis,” complete with scenes that were once thought forever lost, is screened, accompanied by a live student orchestra. The orchestra pays homage to the cinema’s acoustics by parodying the THX noise at the start of the film.

April 7, 2011
Angelo Pizzo and David Anspaugh speak with Andy Hunsucker and Jason Thompson during a live taping of the IU Cinema Podcast, following a screening of their film “Hoosiers.” “We felt like we’d been doing a good show up until then, but getting that vote of confidence from Jon (Vickers) was a big deal for us,” Hunsucker said. The podcast gained the attention of WFIU, where it now airs.

April 10, 2011
“Breaking Away” makes an appearance during the cinema’s first Little 500, signaling yet another Cutters victory.

Sept. 2, 2011
“A Clockwork Orange” becomes the first Midnight Movie at the IU Cinema. Dozens of unsuspecting college students left terrified of “Singin’ in the Rain.”

Sept. 11, 2011
Patrons pay their respects to those lost in the World Trade Center attacks by watching the harrowing footage inside the towers in the documentary “9/11” on the tragic day’s 10th anniversary.

Oct. 15, 2011
Piano accompanist Ethan Uslan performs live during a screening of the silent film and 1927 Best Picture winner “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans.” Uslan said he wanted to recreate the experience of watching a film in the 1920s and succeeded brilliantly.

Oct. 27, 2011
Michael Uslan, the producer of every Batman film to date, speaks at the cinema about how he went from being a middle-class IU alumnus to becoming a successful producer and advocate for comic books as a legitimate art form. Naturally, “The Dark Knight” screened to a flock of fanboys that evening.

Oct. 31, 2011
As part of the Hermann and Hitchcock series, “Psycho” proves to be the pinnacle slasher film on a Halloween evening.

Jan. 12, 2012
The IU Cinema shows a storybook film series with a restored 35mm print of “Once Upon a Time in the West.” “The audience, including myself and Barry Allen, the Paramount Pictures archivist in charge of the restoration, was awestruck by the film’s beauty on screen,” Vickers said.

A LOOK AHEAD: Feb. 4, 2012
The world premiere of the silent film “David Copperfield” will be screened with a Jacobs School of Music student-commissioned score and live orchestra performance in honor of Charles Dickens’ 200th birthday.